Bed construction



Nov. 18, '1958 '.A. A. LA RussA A.

BED CONSTRUCTION Filed April 23, 1954 j La/ussa BY YQQ/ZX A. A. LA RUSSA BED CONSTRUCTION Nav? 1s, 195s 4 Sheets-Sheet/Z Filed April l23. 1954 10 @l INVENToR. m/wnyA Zaliussa, BY KV NUR/m19 Nov. 18, 1958 A, A. LA RUSSA 2,860,351

BED CONSTRUCTION l Filed April 23, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3` IN VEN TOR. nikon/yf?. La/Eussa Nav. 18, 1958 A. A. LA RussA BED coNsTRuc'rIoN 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 25. 1954 IN VEN TOR. 07j A. aussa K5/352;;

u @o mm N /lm BY Arron/rs Unities a c. I

BED CONSTRUCTION Anthony A. La Russa, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secre-V The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to folding or collapsible bed structures, and, more particularly, it provides im# provements in a folding hospital bed of a type that is particularly suitable for use in military field hospitals where ready portability is needed, as well as providing a bed structure which assures sanitary comfort to an individual patient, while presenting the minimum number of principal and supplemental or auxiliary parts for preserving ruggedness of construction with needed portability.

In general, the present invention has for one of its objects the provision of a collapsible hospital bed which eliminates the need for a mattress, thus facilitating portability of beds in forward area tield hospitals. Primarily, the improved bed construction is intended to be used for patients presenting non-transportable cases in eld medical units, and is of such design and construction that it` can be easily and quickly assembled and set up for immediate use, without the need for the use of tools. However, the present improved bed construction does not preclude the use of a mattress or pad if one is desired, and thus it can be used in general hospitals, or otherwise, in the same manner as the present standard type of cornmercial bed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bed of the above-indicated type which embodies also a bed-lock of simple construction which securely locks the bed in open position and prevents accidental collapse of the bed, and which also serves as a mount for a mosquitonetting bar, transfusion apparatus, or the like, and additionally provides a filler-bar at the head-end of the bed to prevent pillows from slipping accidentally yfrom the bed to the floor.

Further objects of the invention will become .apparent as the vdescription proceeds and the features of novelty will be pointed out in particularity in the appended claims.

The -improvements of the present invent-ion will be understood more readily from a consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan vi-ew of the improved bed construction, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the bed in set-up position for use;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bed showing the parts in folded position, and secured in such position against accidental release so that the bed is in condition for ready and convenient transport;

Fig. 4-is an enlarged fragmentary half-plan View on a larger scale than Fig. l, parts being broken away to show further structural details;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view -of an end of the bed in set-up position, showing additional improved features of construction;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the States Patent 2,860,351 Patented Nov. 18, 1958 line VI-VI of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view illustrating structural details of a bed-lock inoperative position;

Fig. 8 lis an end view of the bed and bed-lock in set-up position;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken 0n the line lX-IX of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical .sectional view taken on the line XX of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. ll is an enlarged vertical section along the line XI--XI of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

From an. inspection of the drawings, it will be seen that the present `improved construction relates to a folding hospital-type bed lor cot which comprises a frame including head- `and foot-pieces and lateral and end bedrails, the headand foot-pieces being adapted to be folded atly beneath the lateraland end-bed-rails when the bed is not in use or is prepared for transport, a. canvas support or bed-bottom resiliently connected to the lateraland end-bed-rails instead of a conventional mattress, and a bed-lock assembly on the headand foot-pieces for securing the said pieces in bed-supporting position, each bedlock assembly including means for mounting transfusion apparatus, or mosquito bars, and serving as a filler bar at the head yof the bed for preventing pillows from accidentally slipping from the bed to the floor.

The canvas support or bed-bottom comprises an appropriately cut canvas sheet resiliently suspended between the bed rails by means of hardened helical springs attached to the rails, the canvas thus forming a support for the patient and replacing both a mattress and bedspring. In practice for actual service, it is made of standard heavy-duty, fire-resistant, fungus-resistant, and waterresistantvmilitary (Army)type canvas, measuring approximately 68 inches long by 26 inches wide, it being reinforced on all four edges by double return hems `approximately llz inches wide. Along the outer edge of each long hem are eleven grommets, approximately 51/2 inches apart, and nine grommets, approximately 3 inches apart, on each short hem. Sewed inside the double hems between the grommets and the outer edge of the hem are elongated, flexible, weight-distributing means such as a metal strip or a corrosion-resistant (stainless steel) wire, approximately 1/3 inch in diameter by approximately 60 inches in length on each long side and approximately 251A inches in length on each short side. Each end of each wire is turned back on itself in a circle inside the hem between the last and next to the last grommet ion both ends of each long side and also is Ifinned around the last grommet on both ends of each short side. Each W-ire is placed so that it will `distribute equally the pull of the springs exerted through the grommets along the entire hem'med edge, thus reducing the likelihood of excessive strain being placed on any one grommet.

The canvas support is attached to the bed rails by means of hardened and tempered helical springs, there being employed, typically in practice, forty of such springs in number, one end of each spring being hooked through a grommet, the opposite end of each spring being hooked to la corresponding hole in the adjacent bed rail. The patient is protected from contact with the springs and bed rails by the use -of a canvas protective border which is securely but flexibly attached to the canvas support and bed rails over the springs without binding or pulling on the canvas.-

support.

This protective border, in practice, is a strip of double.

' located through-hole to receive ers the springs and entire perimeter of the bed. It is attached to the canvas support by means of elasticized cloth bands sewed to the inner under edge of the border. The unattached end of each band is drawn toward the edge of the bed through a canvas loop sewed to the canvas support, then through a slot in the bed rail and ultimately turned back on itself and fastened back to the border under the outer edge by means of snap fasteners. In practice, six loops are utilized on each long side and three on each short side.

The improved bed construction also employs, on each end of the bed, a triple-purpose bed lock assembly of improved construction. Locking is accomplished by making an adjustable connection between the center of the top of the bed end and a plate which extends horizontally out from the center of the end bed rail. This connection is accomplished specifically by means of a thumbscrew included in each locking assembly, and when accomplished, it prevents the bed end from folding under the bed to the normal closed position. In addition, this locking assembly is used as a mount for mosquito nettingand transfusion-bars, and the locking assembly also acts as a tller bar to prevent pillows from accidentally slipping to the floor, as has been mentioned above.

The largest component of each locking assembly is a locking member co-mprising a U-shaped casting, measuring in practice 2% inches in length and 1%@ inches in width at its central part. The top or open end of the casting is extended at right angles approximately one inch on both sides to form wings. Each wing has a centrally attaching bolts for assembly to the bed end, the length of each wing being curved to tit it properly against the round, tubular surface of the bed end. The bottom end of the U-shaped casting is a heavy-walled closed section with a tapped or threaded through-hole to receive the thumbscrew lock. Approximately midway from the open end of the U-shaped casting is a reinforcing rib which connects both legs of this casting and has a centrally located %-inch square throughhole.

The locking assembly includes also a saddle, which has an extruded aluminum alloy member approximately 3% inches long by l inch wide by 3/16 inch thick, formed to tit in complete surface contact with the round curvature of the bed-end tubing. It has two 1i-inch diameter through-holes approximately 2% inches apart which coincide with holes in the extended wings of the main casting and bed end. Bolts, which are aixed through the saddle, bed end, and the wing holes in the casting, rigidly and securely mount the bed-lock assembly on the tubular bed end in a downward vertical position. The saddle and bed end have coinciding 3%4-inch diameter throughholes centrally locatedto receive the mosquito and transl fusion bars. The 3%4-inch diameter hole through the bed end is hushed to prevent a harbor for insects.

The thumbscrew lock is fabricated from corrosionresistant steel having a %-16 threaded portion approximately 11/2 inches long, which is received by the tapped through-hole in the heavy walled bottom section of the main U-shaped casting. Located at the lower part of the thread is a large diameter knurled collar for easy turning of the thumbscrew lock and an adjacent tip which engages the locking bar or plate.

The bed end locking bar mentioned above is made from corrosion-resistant steel plate measuring about 2% inches long, 15/16-inch wide and /lG-inch thick. At one end, this plate has a :Vs-inch diameter through-hole which receives the rail bolt and is also securely fastened to the bed rail in such a way that the plate can be swiveled. The other end of the plate has a similar %-inch diameter hole which receives the pointed tip of the thumbscrew lock.

A reinforcing bed-end cross brace has been relocated in the present construction from a conventional height of approximately 12 inches from the oor, which is typical for commercial beds, to the height of 1 inch. The purpose of relocating the reinforcing bed-end crossbar is to prevent the bed from sinking far into soft ground during field use. This is an innovation which eliminates the need of conventional 5inch diameter swivel plate feet which are located at the foot end of each upright in field equipment of similar design.

The foregoing general description of the present bed construction is submitted merely for the purpose of pre- Senting a general explanatory summary of the improved for any purpose.

features and characteristics embodied in actual practice in the present construction. It will be understood that all specific numerical values included in the foregoing explanatory summary, all specific dimensions, and other specifically referred-to features are illustrative only in character, given as illustrative examples which obviously may be varied as needed or desired in conformity with changes in dimensional sizes of the bed, or other detailed changes, without affecting in any way the inventive concept involved in the present construction. l With the foregoing general description of the principal features and characteristics of the present construction as embodied therein in actual practice for fulfilling conditions of actual service in mind, specific reference now may be had to the accompanying drawings for specific identification of the above-referred to structural elements and the particular relationship existing therebetween which actually comprise the improved features of the present construction as adapted for military iield service; and while such features are of particular utility in connection with the use of the present hospital-type bed or cot (generally referred to as bed in the present specification and appended claims), it will be apparent that the improved bed construction is not limited to military field hospital service, but that it a folding bed construction is desirable, either for outdoor use, such as camping, or for indoor use wherein a till-in bed may be needed, particularly for temporary or transient service, such as conventionally supplied by roll-away beds, for which purpose also the present construction is particularly convenient and useful, as it eliminates the need for both mattress and springs without impairment to the comfort of the occupant. However, as will be apparent, the present construction also is suitable for the reception of a mattress should use of such be desired Moreover, which is important for hospital service, the improved bed oifers a construction which is thoroughly sanitary and which may be cleaned readily without requiring any substantial dismantling.

Referring, then, more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the improved bed construction comprises a bedstead or frame including similar bed ends 12, one of which is the foot end and the other is the head end,

Since these ends are identical, they are interchangeablek either when the bed is in service assembled. The bed ends l2 are tubular in construction, and are connected to side bed rails 14 by links 16, 18, which links are connected removably to the side rails and ends, links 18 being longer and lower than .links 16. The bed frame is completed by end rails 20, which are reinforced by brace links 22.

Suspended from `these sideand end-bed rails 14 and 20 is the canvas support 24, which replaces a mattress and which is suspended from, and attached to, the sideand end-bed rails 14 and 20 by means of hardened helical springs 26, 28, the springs 26 being side springs and the springs 28 1being end springs. The canvas support 24 denes the rest member for the patient or other occupant of the bed, lthe support 24 with its suspending springs replacing both the usual mattress and bed springs, and presents advantages of space-saving in transport and enhanced sanitary features without sacrificing comfort to the occupant of the bed. The support 24 is reinforced by spaced resilient metal strips 30, which extend transversely across the support 24, their ends being .connected to the side bed rails 14 by corresponding helical springs or whenever it is to be is adapted for general utility wherever included in the aforesaid springs 26. Obviously, a suicient number of the springs 26 and 28 are provided for Iassuring an even, although iJsilient, support for the bed occupant. The support 24 is made suitably of standard heavy-duty, fire-resistant, fungus-resistant, and waterresistant Army-type canvas, as has been mentioned above, or any other suitable plain or rubberized flexible fabric, which when demounted can be folded or rolled into a small package for transport. The identication of canvas as employed in the present description and appended claims is intended to be generic to such aforesaid fabric canvas and to obvious equivalents thereof.

This support 24 is reinforced on all four edges by double return hems `32 along the long side edges of the support, and by similar double return hems 34 along the ends of the support. Along the outer edge of each long hem is a suitable number of spaced grommets 36, and similar grommets 38 are spaced along the end hems of the support.

Sewed inside each of the double hems 32 and 34 is a corrosion resistant reinforcing wire designated as 42 and 44, the ends of each longitudinal wire 42 being hooked inside of the hems 32 between the last and next to the last grommet on both ends of each long side, as is indicated at 46, and the ends of the transverse wires 44 are hooked around the last gromrnet on both ends of each short side, as is indicated at 48. As has been mentioned above, the wires 42 and 44 are placed so that they will distribute equally the pull of the springs 26 and 28 exerted through the grommets along the entire hemrned edges of the support 24, thus reducing the likelihood of any excessive strain being placed on any one grommet.

As is apparent clearly from the drawings, and has been mentioned' above herein, the canvas support 24 is attached to the side and end bed rails 14' and 20 by the hardened and tempered helical springs 26 and 28, one `end of each spring being hooked through an adjacent grommet, lthe opposite end of each of the said springs being hooked through a corresponding hole 50, 52 in the side and end bed rails 14 and 2t), thus assuring resiliency of mounting of the support 24 in all directions in a manner similar to the resiliency effected by the usual bed springs.

The patient or other occupant of the bed is protected from contact with the helical springs 26, 28 by the use of a canvas protective border 54 which extends completely around the support 24, covering the said springs 26, 28, and also covering the bed rails 14, 20, this border 54 being attached securely but `flexibly to the support 24 f and to the bed rails over the springs without binding or pulling on the canvas support.

This protective border 54 is a strip of double layer canvas which covers the springs and bed rails around the entire perimeter of the bed. It is attached to the canvas support` 24 by means of elasticized cloth bands 56 sewed to the inner under edge of the border. The unattached ends of the bands 56 are drawn to-ward the edges of the bed through ca nvas loops 58 sewed to the canvas support 24, then throughV slots 6i) in the bed rails, and ultimately are turned back on themselves and fastened back to the border 54 under the outer edge thereof by means of snap` fasteners 62. The number anddimensionsof such bands employed are variable in accordance with the dimensions of the particular bed.

As has been pointed out above, the improved bed construction also employs a triple-purpose bed-lock assembly which is provided on each bed end and prevents acci-y dental collapse of the bed. The locking is accomplished by making an adjustable connection, which will be referred to in detail hereinafter, between the center of each bed end 12 an-d a lock-plate 64 which extends horizontally outwardly from the center of each end bed rail 20, the said adjustable connection being effected by means of a thumbscrew 66, the plates 64 having a hole 68 there- 6 through for receiving tip 70 of the threaded shank 72 of the thumbscrew.

Each bed-lock assembly has as its largest component a U-shaped casting 74, the top or open end of which is extended at right angles on both sides to form attachment wings 76. Each wing has a centrally located throughhole to receive attaching bolts for assembly to the bed end, the length of the wings being curved to fit snugly against the round, tubular surface of the bed end. v The bottom end of the casting 74 is a heavy-walled closed section 78 with a tapped or threaded .through-hole 80 to receive the threaded shank 72 of the thumbscrew lock; and approximately midway from the open end of the casting 74 is a reinforcing rib 82 which connects both legs of the casting 74, and is provided with a centrally located square through-hole 84.

The casting 74 is secured in place by `a saddle member 86, which is' formed to t in complete surface contact with the round curvature of the bed end tubing. The saddle 86 has two spaced through-holes 88 which align with corresponding holes in the attachment wings 76 of the main casting 74 and in the bed end. Bolts 90, which are affixed through the corresponding holes in the saddle, bed end, and attachment wings, rigidly and securely mount this bed-lock assembly on the tubular bed end in a downward vertical position. The saddle 86 and bed end 12 have coinciding centrally located through-holes for receiving a vertical standard 92, the upper end of which is provided with oppositely extending arms 94 for supporting mosquito netting, transfusion equipment, or the like, not` shown. The lower end of the standard 92 is reduced as shown at 96 for a snug t into square hole 84 in the web 82. The hole through the bed end is bushed, as shown at 98, to prevent a harbor for insects.

The thumbscrew lock referred to above is fabricated from corrosion-resisting steel and includes the threaded shank 72, which is received by the tapped or threaded through-hole in the bottom 78 of the main casting 74. Located at the lower part of the threaded shank 72 is the large diameter knurled collar 66 for easy turning of the thumbscrew lock and the adjacent tip 7() which is received in hole 68 in the locking bar or plate 64.

This locking bar or plate 64 is a corrosion-resisting steel plate having at one end a through-hole 100, which receives rail bolt 102 which passes through a corresponding hole 104 in the end bed-rail 20. In this way the locking bar or plate 64 is fastened securely to the end bed-rail 20, while enabling the locking plate 64 to be swiveled. The hole 68, which receives the tip 70 of the thumbscrew lock, is adjacent to the opposite end of the locking bar or plate 64.

The reinforcing bed end cross-brace 106 is located in the present construction close to the door or ground, for

the purpose of preventing the bed from sinking excessively or unevenly into soft ground during eld use, thereby eliminating the need for conventional swivel plate feet which customarily are located at the foot end of each upright in field equipment of similar design. These crossbraces 106, being located close to the floor, provide suitable means lfor receiving restraining straps 108 when the bed ends are in collapsed or folded position as shown in Fig. 3, these straps securing the ends in folded position for transporting the bed or for storage when the ybed is` not in use. The straps 108 are secured at an end to the bed bottom hem 32, the free end of each strap being provided with a buckle 110 for securing the straps 108 around the bed ends when the latter are fully folded or collapsed, as shown in Fig. 3. In order to effect this folding of the bed ends, the knurled actuating collar 66 of the bed locks are turned until the pointed tip 70 of screw shank 72 is retracted from engagement with hole 68 in locking plate 64, thus releasing the locking plate for pivotal movement inwardly relative to the bed frame, and as each of the links 16 and 18 is pivoted at one end to the side rails 14 and at the opposite end to the adjacent bed end, as indicated at 112, 114, 116, and 118, respectively, each `bed end may be moved about these pivots responsively to release of the locking plate 64, until the said bed ends become positioned atly beneath the bed rails 14, and held thus by application of the straps 108, as shown in Fig. 3, the bed ends being proportioned in their height with respect to the length of the bed so that when the ends are thus foldably collapsed, they become closely contiguous, as shown in Fig. 3.

For making the structure as light as possible, coupled with requisite strength and rigidity, the bed ends, bedrails, and connecting links may be composed of light metal such as aluminum or of one of several aluminum alloys which are available commercially, which have requisite rigidity and strength as well as being satisfactorily castable and machinable for fabrication purposes.

It also will be apparent that the free end of each screw shank 72 of each locking screw is provided with a retaining flange or collar 120 which prevents accidental separation of the shank 72 from the hole 80 in the closed portion 78 of the casting 74.

It may be noted further that the reinforcing strips 30 are inclosed preferably removably in fabric sleeves 122, which are stitched or attached permanently to the underside of the support 24 and are suitably composed of the same fabric as the support 24. Incidentally, this support 24 is not made necessarily of canvas which has been mentioned specically above herein, but it may be made of any fabric of requisite strength and flexibility and weight such as, for instance, duck or tarpaulin stock, and which is intended to be covered by the term canvas, as has been mentioned above.

It will be understood that the improved construction of the present invention as has been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, represents a preferred embodiment of the present improvements, but it is apparent also that various structural details thereof may be modified without departing from the inventive concept. Accordingly, it will be understood that the herein-described specific embodiment of the invention may be subject to speciiic modications as will become apparent to one skilled in the art; and, therefore, it will be understood and desired to include within the scope of the present invention such modications and changes as may be necessary or desirable to adapt the improved construction to varying conditions and uses, as dened by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A folding bed construction including a bed frame comprising a pair of end members, side rails disposed between the end members, end rails adjacent to the end members and rigidly interconnecting the side rails, means pivotally connecting the end members and the rails to shift the end members lbetween extended and folded positions and releasable locking means having a first coop- -erating part thereof having an opening therein and rotatably carried by one of said end rails for horizontal arcuate movement relative to said one end rail, a second cooperating part thereof rigidly carried by `an end member adjacent said one end rail and including a vertical adjustable spindle member for engaging said opening in said first cooperating part for interlocking engagement therewith to maintain said vone end member and adjacent end rail in extended position.

2. A folding bed construction including a bed frame having side and end rails, a bed end member adjacent to each of the end rails, means pivotally interconnecting the end members to said side rails for enabling each of the end members to be raised and collapsed selectively relatively to said rails, locking means releasably and rigidly interconnecting each of the end members to its adja- -cent end rail for preventing accidental collapse of the end members relative to said rails, each of said locking means comprising a bar-link pivotally mounted on an end rail and extending outwardly from said end rail when in locking position, a substantially U-shaped `casting having a closed bottom end, an open top end, substantially parallel side arms, and a reinforcing rib connecting the side arms intermediate the open top end and the closed bottom end of the casting, the side arms of the casting being extended outwardly adjacent to the open top end of the casting and dening attaching flanges engaging an upper tubular element of the adjacent bed end member along under portions thereof, a thumbscrew having one end received in the bar-link and an opposite end threadedly mounted in the bottom end of the U-shaped casting, and an enlarged manually-actuatable collar on the thumbscrew for enabling adjustment thereof relative to the barlink and said casting for selectively releasing the screw from said bar-link and inserting the screw therein for correspondingly releasing and locking the bed end member with respect to the bar-link and corresponding end rail of the bed frame, and a saddle member in gripping engagement with the top portion of the upper tubular element of the adjacent bed end member and attaching means extending through the saddle member, tubular element and attaching flanges of the side arms of the casting for clampingly `assembling these parts together.

3. A folding bed construction as recited in claim 2 wherein said reinforcing rib and said tubular element have registering openings for receiving and maintaining a removable support member in vertical position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 552,586 Rogers Jan. 7, 1896 767,680 Barton Aug. 16, 1904 949,135 Young Feb. 15, 1910 1,004,796 Lehmann Oct. 3, 1911 1,059,497 Smith Apr. 22, 1913 1,259,732 Harpham Mar. 19, 1918 1,261,893 Baldwin Apr. 9,.1918 1,311,719 Simpson July 29, 1919 1,332,950 Okun Mar. 9, 1920 1,347,413 Schaefer July 20, 1920 1,785,258 Gursky et al. Dec. 16, 1930 1,820,285 Mills Aug. 25, 1931 1,885,511 Cocks Nov. 1, 1932 i, 1,994,901 Stern Mar. 19, 1935 2,290,615 Firestone July 21, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,763 France Oct. 16, 1905 

